New Store Highlights Home Brewing in Cedar Falls

For Tom Blaser, brewing beer has long been a passion.

“My dad got my older brother and I a beer brewing kit for Christmas,” Blaser said. “I’ve been making beer ever since.”

On November 10, Blaser opened Kitchen Wines & Brew Shop at 1804 Waterloo Road in Cedar Falls, a store that caters to those who share his love of home alcohol production.

“I thought for a while that the Cedar Falls, Waterloo area could use a place like this,” Blaser said.

The store touts a variety of products for both burgeoning producers and those intimately acquainted with the art.

Shoppers can purchase kits with ingredients and instructions, seperate ingredients equipment for producing the beverages and literature on the subject.

Blaser noted that in addition to enjoying the crafting process, those producing their own drinks can potentially save money over purchasing their favorite variety outright at the store.

Those worrying about the difficulty of making their own beer or wine need not be concerned, he said.

“They all have pretty detailed but easy to follow instructions,” he said of the equipment and recipes, adding that keeping things clean virtually guarantees a delicious result.

Do you have any tips for successful home brewing? Tell us in the comments.

“I think it’s a good thing,” said Peter Thompson, a Waterloo resident and oenophile who has dabbled in winemaking. “It’s nice to know that if you’re making your own beer or wine, there’s a place you can go nearby without having to leave town or wait on the mail. Time can be of the essence."

Blaser hopes for future additions to the store's current model.

“We would like to put a space in the back for a kitchen so we could give instructional classes and have meetings, teaching people how to make their own beer and wine,” he said. "We would also like to get a license so that we could both make beer and sell it."

For now, Blaser is looking to expand awareness of Kitchen Wines & Brew Shop in the area.

“We’re getting people in the door,” Blaser said. “A lot of people having been coming in to check it out.”